Your team has been very successful this season. What do you think has contributed to that success?

Albini: Believing in each other and ourselves is what has made this team successful.

Cassady: We worked hard in the preseason. We spent a lot of time learning new systems and really worked out the kinks in our defense. I think we came out of preseason as a very strong team and we have only extended that since the beginning of the season.

Claeys:I think that our success has been attributed to our hardwork and everyone's effort to come in this season in shape and ready to compete. I think after getting a taste of last year's NCAA play and our MAC Championship it really got our returning players hungry for more and got our freshman excited for a great season.

Murphy: Great work ethic, great team camaraderie, great coaching and great ambition. We believe in each other and in the ability of our coaching staff to get us prepared for each game. Every person on the team is on the same page when it comes to our goals for the season, and we are all working towards them together. Everyone realizes that no one is going to just give us another MAC championship. We have to work harder than everyone else, and so far our work ethic and talent have enabled us to have an amazing season so far.

Schwartz: I think this season's success can be attributed to many things. First, Neil (Macmillan) and the rest of the coaching staff have worked very hard to prepare us to be this successful. Along with that, our team has been very diligent in taking the skill and information they give and use it to the best of our ability. We have also transformed our play into a complete "passing" game, which I think makes us very dangerous.

As a senior, do you find that the success of the team relies more heavily on your shoulders?

Albini: As a senior I realize how significant each game is. We know that our role as seniors is to lead the underclassmen, but we can't be credited with the team's success. We are simply playing each game as if it is our last and making sure we have no regrets.

Cassady: I think as a senior, it comes down to the fact that you are the oldest on the team and you take a little more ownership. I think everyone feels the pressure to be successful, but towards the end of the season, when it is win or go home, people might see a different side of the seniors.

Claeys: I think leading by example in having good work ethic falls more heavily on my shoulders as a senior.

Murphy: Our success this season has been evenly distributed amongst the team. Everyone has a specific role to fill, and everyone knows their role and fulfills it to their best capabilities. A big part of being a senior is your role as a leader that stems from your previous years' experiences, but the team has been playing awesome this year, thus the success of the team is evenly distributed between everyone.

Schwartz: I do not feel that the success relies more heavily on my shoulders as a senior. I do feel, however, a sense of leadership that comes with my seniority. I like to think that my teammates look up to me as a senior and value my leadership.

Has the support from fans had anything to do with your victories at home?

Cassady: Of course! The fans are awesome and have really been recognizing our accomplishments this season. Feeling their support, even just around campus, is a reason to keep winning.

Murphy: Playing at home is always the best environment for our team. We know the quirks of the field, our style of play is most effective on our fast-paced turf, and the support of our family, friends and fans creates an excitement that is tangible on the field and makes competing more fun and enjoyable.

Schwartz: Being home & having the support of the fans is always the best feeling. I love looking into the stands & seeing friends & family cheering us on. I think our team feeds off of the fans support.

How does it feel to be nationally ranked all season long?

Albini: This accomplishment is a product of our team's hard work. This year we have established Ohio Field Hockey as a team that can compete with the best in the country. Being nationally ranked is something we deserve.

Cassady: It is something that I have never felt before because we have never been ranked. Initially, it was exciting and to stay in the top-20 throughout the whole season was even better. Now that we are in MAC play, we have stopped thinking about it and are focusing more on winning another conference championship.

Murphy:It's a dream come true - literally! It has always been a goal and dream of mine to play for an extremely competitive, nationally-ranked collegiate program, and my two years at Ohio have enabled me to achieve that goal. It is well deserved by this hard-working and talented team, and I am extremely proud to be apart of such an amazing season.

Schwartz: Being nationally ranked all season long has been amazing, but it didn't define us as a team or how we played. It was exciting the first couple of weeks, but after that we didn't take much notice to it. We always played for us, not for the rankings.